Let’s say you currently race a 22:45 5k and a 47:30k. For training you run 7k three times a week at a comfortable 4:55/km (7:55 mile pace). You know you could probably go a bit faster but you remember reading that it’s a bad idea to do all your training runs at a race pace. Are…

Wear whatever you want. Seriously, the point of this article is not to police what people wear. Comments on what others should or should not wear range from the rude to the absolutely vile and infuriating. So wear whatever you want, whatever feels good, and whatever you have. Rather, the point of this article is…

As the triathlon season draws closer up here in Canada, swim clubs begin race simulations. This can include deep water starts, swimming around a buoy, swimming in packs, grabbing ankles, or anything else to simulate both the congestion and the changes of pace that occur in a race. Our coach even had us practice clearing…

Joining a coached club or accessing coaching virtually or in person will absolutely advance your triathlon training. The support, the knowledge, the consistency, the focus are all incredibly beneficial to moving you forward towards your goals. However, not all coaches are equal, so here are some red flags for traits you may want to avoid…

Winter bike training has a bit of a poor reputation. Hours of spinning on the trainer don’t tend to be particularly enjoyable. However, with the advent of Netflix, smart trainers, and now Zwift, the experience has certainly improved significantly. Add to this various spin studios and triathlon-specific group spinning and winters can be a great…

There are several things that come up during a triathlon that can equate to a slower performance than anticipated or a particularly unpleasant experience. Although these can be diverse, there is an underlying commonality: lack of training in ways that truly align to the race experience. Here are several examples demonstrating how lack of race-specific…

Due to the complexity of the freestyle stroke, it’s helpful to isolate areas of improvement and focus on these for a dedicated period of time. Recently I have been focusing on ‘snapping the hips’, by which I mean a quicker rotation of the hips at each stroke. This focus solves a number of issues with…

1. Join a club: Not to scare off those who are new, but that is quite a lot to learn when starting into triathlon. Whether it’s the gear, the training schedules, little things like changing a bike tire, or just camaraderie to get through the tough days, there’s a learning curve involved. Although joining a…

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Life of Tri is managed by Abe Oudshoorn, a professor in the School of Nursing at Western University, and age group triathlete. Abe is dedicated to the swim/bike/run lifestyle, and hopes to share some of that passion with you.